This study investigates what success factors does a Program need to have in order for it to succeed in the nuclear industry. The study is conducted at the Forsmark nuclear power plant in the municipality of Östhammar, where the company currently performs most of its maintenance, facility renewal, renewal portfolio and individual projects. Given that Forsmark´s project portfolio includes many diverse projects, there is an exploration of the possibility of incorporating projects with similar characteristics and common goal into a program. Programs are defined as a group of related projects that are managed in a coordinated manner to gain benefits and control that are not available by managing them individually. The purpose of the Program is not only to reduce the number of individual projects but also to unify them under a single steering group, program manager, projects manager, resources, finances, and a shared work plan. This is aimed at executing these projects more efficiently. Therefore, this research aims to examine the potential challenges and factors associated with managing a nuclear power project within a unified program. The study evaluates “Project” and “Program” to provide beneficial recommendations to both Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB and the nuclear industry in Sweden on the optimal organization of their renewal protocols, throughout the continued lifespan of the facilities. There are valuable insights, experiences and perspectives that need to be emphasized to offer recommendations to Forsmark and the nuclear industry.  In this study, a qualitative research method was employed to gain deeper understanding of how Forsmark approaches individual projects and programs. The study included interviews with seven individuals, five of whom work within Forsmark, one from the Ringhals nuclear power plant, and one with extensive experience in project and program management. Secondary data for this study was collected from literature on project and program management, along with scientific articles that delve into the subject. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the concept of program and program management, as well as the expectations, requirements and challenges associated with their implementation. Furthermore, it shows the significance of an understanding of portfolio management within the organization for better oversight of individual projects and programs. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of adopting one or more global recognized standards, such as PMI (Project Management Institute) and MSP (Managing Successful Programs).

Strategic improvement programs, which aim for corporate-wide lean transformation, are resource-demanding and challenging to deploy. Industrial manufacturers often develop company-specific production system (XPS) programs to coordinate the lean transformation simultaneously in multiple production sites. However, transferring lean-related knowledge in a multi-site context is complex as it is associated with tacit knowledge embedded in people.  This thesis aims to contribute with knowledge of how multinational corporations (MNCs) can develop their deployment strategies to add more value in the business by investigating i) what constitutes deployment of an XPS program and ii) how an XPS program promotes the transfer of lean-related knowledge. The qualitative research conducted was based on three empirical case studies, which all applied an intra-firm perspective within an MNC.  Regarding the deployment challenges, it was found to be poorly described in the literature. This thesis explores and describes the deployment of XPS programs based on empirical findings and scholarly literature. Applying program management theory and a knowledge transfer perspective contributed to holistically understanding XPS programs' deployment. It was observed that four deployment variables are the most important. These deployment variables constitute the content of an XPS (conceptual models and a toolbox of improvement tools) and implementation support (implementation structure and control practices). XPS programs are often assumed to facilitate the transfer of lean-related knowledge. This thesis expands the discourse to show how an XPS program may promote and hinder knowledge transfer in three different perspectives; when implementing larger improvement projects, rolling out global lean method standards, and incorporating new lean methods bottom-up. This research contributes to theory by describing the deployment of an XPS program in depth. A deployment model was developed that stipulates the deployment variables and their interconnection. Some of the findings may have practical applications for industrial practitioners when developing and evaluating the deployment strategies within their XPS program. / Strategiska förbättringsprogram som strävar efter en bred lean transformation inom företaget är resurskrävande och utmanande att rulla ut. Industriella tillverkare utvecklar ofta program för företagsspecifika produktionssystem (XPS) för att koordinera lean transformationen på flertal produktionsanläggningar parallellt. Lean kunskap förknippas med tyst kunskap, inneboende i människor, vilken är mer komplex att överföra i en kontext med multipla produktionsanläggning sprida över världen. Denna avhandling har som mål att bidra med kunskap om hur multinationella företag (MNC) kan utveckla sina utrullningsstrategier så att de tillför mer värde till verksamheten genom att undersöka i) vad utgör utrullning av ett XPS-program och ii) hur ett XPS-program främjar överföring av leanrelaterad kunskap. Den kvalitativa forskningen som genomfördes baserades på tre empiriska fallstudier, som alla tillämpade ett internt perspektiv inom det multinationella företaget (MNC) som studerades. Utmaningarna med utrullningar visade sig det vara dåligt beskrivet i litteraturen. Av den anledningen har denna avhandling utforskat och beskrivit utrullning av XPS-program baserat på empiriska fallstudierna och vetenskaplig litteratur. I arbetet har programledningsteori och ett kunskapsöverföringsperspektiv tillämpats, vilket bidrog till en holistisk förståelse av XPS-programs utrullning. Studien identifierade fyra viktiga variabler för utrullning som utgör både innehållet i en XPS (konceptuella modeller och en verktygslåda med förbättringsverktyg) och ett implementeringsstöd (implementeringsstruktur och kontroll-handlingar). I tidigare publikationer antas ofta att XPS-program underlättar överföringen av lean-relaterad kunskap. Denna avhandling utökar det resonemanget genom att visa hur ett XPS-program kan dels främja, men även hindra kunskapsöverföring utifrån tre olika perspektiv; när man implementerar större förbättringsprojekt, rullar ut globala standarder för lean-metoder och vid inkorporering av nya lean-metoder där produktionsanläggningen är källan till kunskapen. Denna forskning bidrar till teorin genom att på djupet beskriva utrullningen av ett XPS-program. En utrullningsmodell utvecklades för att beskriva utrullningsvariablerna och deras sammankoppling. Vissa av resultaten kan även ha praktiska tillämpningar för verksamma inom industrin när de utvecklar och utvärderar strategierna inom deras XPS-program.